Break
Fail
Fail verb - To stop functioning.
Usage example: my video camera failed just as I was about to shoot the big moment
Break is a synonym for fail in help topic. You can use "Break" instead a verb "Fail", if it concerns topics such as break down, money, lose money.
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
- This trope also implies the inverse notion; vital equipment will not fail or break unless it would complicate the plot.
Source: Plot-Driven Breakdown - As for good, unless the people fighting for it are willing to compromise and adapt they will break and fail under the strain.
Source: Central Theme / Live-Action TV -
The representation of Mac computers always seems to fail or break in one way or another, each one a dig at the Mac's flaws (Expensive to replace, etc.) Averted with Renamon in later episodes, with her being used more as a source of comedy than a literal Butt Monkey.
Source: Machinima / The Gmod Idiot Box
Cite this Source
Fail and Break. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/break/fail
Break & Fail. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/break/fail>.
Fail or Break. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/break/fail.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "break" and "fail" have occurred on timeline